Christian  M  issions 


fr 


om  a 


Statesman’s  Viewpoint 


EDWIN  H.  CONGER 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2019  with  funding  from 
Columbia  University  Libraries 


https://archive.org/details/christianmissionOOcong 


Christian  Missions  From 
A  Statesman’s  Viewpoint 


By 

The  Honorable  Edwin  H.  Conger,  LL.D. 

United  States  Minister  to  China,  1898—1905 


An  Address  Delivered  at  the 
Tri-State  Missionary  Convention 
Kansas  City,  Mo.,  May  16,  1906 


THE  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY 
OF  THE  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 
Open  Door  Emergency  Commission 
150  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York 


PRICE,  FIVE  CENTS 


Printed  July,  1906 


CHRISTIAN  MISSIONS  FROM  A 
STATESMAN’S  VIEWPOINT 


Revolutions  never  go  backward,  and  although  the 
Boxer  rebellion  of  1900  had  a  more  depressing  and 
disastrous  effect  upon  missionary  interest  in  the  United 
States  than  it  did  upon  missionary  aggressiveness  in 
China,  nevertheless  the  misrepresentations  of  the 
ignorant  and  heartless  critics  of  those  days  have  since 
been  challenged,  a  better  and  clearer  understanding 
has  been  established,  and  a  new  zeal  has  been  born. 
Out  of  the  holocaust  of  1900  new  life  has  arisen,  and 
to-day  the  work  seems  in  a  better  condition  than 
ever  before,  and  the  promise  for  the  future  is  more 
encouraging. 

When  the  first  missionaries  were  sent  out  from  the 
United  States  to  foreign  lands,  had  I  been  on  the 
ground  I  should  probably  have  advised  against  the 
taking  of  such  a  step.  But  time,  history,  and  the 
progress  of  the  good  work  have  demonstrated  that  the 
promoters  of  the  enterprise  were  right,  and  I  am  glad 
to  acknowledge  my  change  of  heart,  and  my  cordial 
and  unreserved  endorsement  of  such  efforts. 

It  is  no  longer  to  be  questioned  that  mission  work 
was  needed  wherever  on  the  globe  the  gospel  was 
unknown.  That  the  results  of  this  work  have  every¬ 
where  been  successful  and  encouraging  is  a  state¬ 
ment  approved  and  attested  by  everyone  who  has  thor- 
X)ughly  and  without  prejudice  investigated  the  work 
of  any  mission  field  in  any  part  of  the  world. 


New  Zeal 
and 

New  Life 


The 

Promoters 
Were  Right 


Results 

Everywhere 

Encouraging 


2 


Christian  Missions 


Hawaii 
and  the 
Philippines 


The 

Christian 
Spirit  in 
Japan 


The 

Struggle  in 
Manchuria 


It  has  been  my  pleasant  privilege,  as  well  as  my 
official  duty,  to  observe  and  to  familiarize  myself  with 
the  work  of  missionaries  in  various  parts  of  the 
world,  but  more  especially,  more  intimately,  and  more 
exhaustively,  in  the  unlimited  and  as  yet  scarcely 
touched  field  of  the  great  Orient. 

Missionary  efifort  in  Hawaii  has  lifted  a  savage 
archipelago  out  of  the  sea,  regenerated  it,  and  fitted 
it  for  annexation  to  the  United  States.  In  the  Philip¬ 
pines  also  it  is  doing  its  full  share  toward  the  evan¬ 
gelization  of  the  interesting  people  on  those  beautiful 
islands. 

In  Japan  the  work  has  been  crowned  by  a  success 
which  is  marvelous  beyond  compare,  but  which  cannot 
be  estimated  by  figures,  or  shown  by  statistics.  It  is 
not  to  be  measured  by  the  number  of  converts  secured, 
by  the  number  of  churches  built,  hospitals  erected,  or 
schools  founded,  but  by  the  beneficent  influence  felt 
throughout  the  Empire,  and  by  the  Christian  spirit 
which  pervades  not  only  the  lives  and  homes  of  the 
common  people,  but  which  has  taken  a  firm  hold  of 
the  higher  classes  and  of  officialdom;  has  entered  the 
homes  of  the  Government’s  leading  representatives ; 
has  been  taken  into  Parliament,  until  even  the  Im¬ 
perial  Palace  has  felt  and  acknowledged  its  power  for 
good. 

To  fully  appreciate  the  influence  of  Christianity  upon 
the  Japanese,  and  its  climax  of  effectiveness,  we  must 
follow  the  fortunes  of  this  wonderful  people  across 
the  straits  and  into  Manchuria.  When  the  memorable 


A  Statesman’s  Viewpoint 


3 


struggle  was  at  its  height ;  when  the  success  of 
Admiral  Togo’s  bombardment  of  Port  Arthur  was  by 
no  means  assured;  when  battalion  after  battalion  of 
General  Nogi’s  incomparable  soldiers  were  being 
hurled  against  embattled  walls  and  mowed  down  to 
make  room  for  like  onslaughts  by  other  heroic  bat¬ 
talions,  and  when  other  matchless  columns  were 
actually  marching  toward  Mukden  over  a  bridge 
formed  of  their  dead  brothers ;  when  all  of  our  efforts 
on  behalf  of  foreign  news  correspondents,  military 
observers,  and  merchants,  were  met  with  a  firm  but 
polite  refusal,  and  it  was  utterly  impossible  to  secure 
permission  for  another  one  of  these  to  enter  the 
Japanese  lines:  it  was  then,  that  a  request  was  made 
by  the  Young  Men’s  Christian  Association  to  take 
the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  to  their  incomparable 
fighting  and  dying  men. 

The  great  Marshal  Oyama,  who  had  seen  and  felt 
the  influence  of  Christian  missionary  work  in  the 
homeland,  said,  in  effect,  '‘Yes,  come  and  go  among 
my  brave  men  wherever  you  please.  Do  them  all  the 
good  you  can,  and  may  the  God  of  battles  abundantly 
bless  you  and  them.”  So  the  doors  were  thrown  open, 
and  the  spirit  of  Christianity,  which  the  missionaries 
of  long  ago  had  taken  to  Japan,  was  welcomed  among 
her  soldiers,  fighting  in  a  foreign  land.  This  ought 
to  give  all  missionary  organizations,  and  missionary 
workers  everywhere,  infinite  hope  and  limitless  en- 


The  Asso¬ 
ciation's 
Request 


Marshal 

Oyama 

Consents 


4 


Christian  Missions 


couragement  to  press  forward  in  their  righteous 
endeavors,  for— 


*  *  ♦  right  is  right,  since  God  is  God; 
And  right  the  day  must  win ; 

To  doubt  would  be  disloyalty. 

To  falter  would  be  sinl 


Success 

in 

India  and 
China 


Chinese 

Civil 

Service 


A  half  century  of  God-directed  effort  in  India,  has 
brought  you  to  a  glorious  jubilee  of  splendid  achieve¬ 
ments.  In  China  also  a  much-needed  and  successful 
work  has  been  accomplished.  But  there  it  is  seriously 
handicapped;  there  it  has  been  practically  impossible 
for  missionaries  to  make  any  headway  among  the 
official  or  higher  classes.  Throughout  the  Empire  it  is, 
and  always  has  been,  the  height  of  every  Chinaman’s 
ambition  to  obtain  and  hold  office.  He  dreams  of  it, 
he  studies  for  it,  he  struggles  for  it,  and  he  lives  for  it. 
The  Chinese  have  had  a  regular  civil  service  through 
which  alone  one  can  enter  or  secure  advancement  in 
office.  This  includes  a  serious  study  of  the  classics, 
an  avowed  belief  in  and  practice  of  Confucian  ethics, 
and  a  continuous  and  substantial  worship  of  the  great 
Sage  himself.  This  policy  being  in  direct  conflict  with 
the  principles  of  Christianity  as  understood  by  the 
missionaries,  it  is  impossible  for  an  ambitious  China¬ 
man  to  accept  the  Christian  religion,  or  even  serously  to 
investigate  it.  And  so  the  essential  religious  work  has 
necessarily  been  restricted  to  the  lower  and  more 
ignorant  classes,  with  few  conversions  among  the 


A  Statesman’s  Viewpoint 


7 


bearers  of  all  that  is  best  in  western  civilization.  It  is 
they,  who,  armed  with  only  the  Bible  and  school  books, 
and  sustained  by  a  faith  which  gives  them  unflinching 
courage,  have  penetrated  the  darkest  interior  of  that 
great  Empire,  hitherto  unvisited  by  foreigners,  and 
blazed  the  way  for  the  oncoming  commerce,  which 
everywhere  has  quickly  followed  them.  It  was  they 
who  first  planted  the  banner  of  the  Prince  of  Peace  in 
every  place  where  now  floats  the  flag  of  commerce  and 
trade.  The  dim  pathways  which  they  traced—often 
marking  them  with  their  life’s  blood— are  being  rapidly 
transformed  into  great  highways  of  travel  and  trade, 
and  are  fast  becoming  lined  with  chapels,  school 
houses,  and  railway  stations,  where  heretofore  were 
found  only  idolatrous  shrines  and  lodging  places  for 
wheelbarrow  men  and  pack  mules. 

In  my  judgment,  the  most  effective  aids  toward 
spreading  the  gospel,  and  the  most  certain  channels 
through  which  to  prepare  the  Chinese  heart  and  mind 
for  its  favorable  reception,  are  the  school  and  hospital. 
Their  value  and  importance  are  immeasurable.  These 
institutions  are  being  most  intelligently  and  success¬ 
fully  used  by  your  representatives  in  China,  are  giving 
a  great  impetus  to  religious  work,  and  bringing  to  the 
Chinese  incalculable  good.  It  is  with  me  a  matter  of 
pardonable  pride  that  ninety-five  per  cent  of  the 
Protestant  schools  in  the  great  Empire,  have  been 
established,  and  are  being  conducted  by  Americans. 
And  it  should  be  a  matter  of  special  pride  with  you 


The  Bible 
and 
School 
Books 


Travel  and 
Trade 


School 

and 

Hospital 


8 


Christian  Missions 


Peking 

University 


Western 

Teaching 


Prepara¬ 
tion  by 
Education 


that  the  great  Methodist  University  at  Peking,  in 
which  Dr.  Gamewell  was  long  an  honored  teacher, 
and  over  which  Dr.  H.  H.  Lowry  so  efficiently  pre¬ 
sides,  compares  most  favorably  with  any  school  of 
like  grade  in  this  country.  And  it  is  well  worth  the 
while  of  Dr.  George  B.  Smyth  to  have  gone  all  the 
way  from  Ireland,  and  to  have  spent  a  lifetime  in 
China,  in  order  to  found  such  a  splendid  school  as 
to-day  stands  in  Foochow  as  an  everlasting  monument 
to  his  memory. 

I  understand  that  in  the  old  days  your  work  in  the 
missionary  fields  was  confined  more  strictly  to  religious 
teaching,  without  first  attempting  any  general  educa¬ 
tional  preparation.  But  experience  has  proved  that 
the  heathen  mind  is  more  receptive  of  God’s  truth 
after  it  has  been  opened,  and  in  a  measure  developed, 
by  the  ordinary  methods  of  western  teaching.  This 
is  natural.  The  pioneers  of  the  great  prairie  states, 
who  by  their  intelligence  and  energy  have  made  the 
desert  to  blossom  as  the  rose,  who  have  carved  out 
of  the  virgin  prairies  an  Empire  unsurpassed  on  the 
globe,  did  not  at  first  scatter  their  valuable  seeds  upon 
the  wild  and  inhospitable  sod,  but  prepared  it  with 
plow  and  harrow  for  the  action  of  air,  sunshine,  and 
rain,  making  it  certain  that  when  the  good  seed  was 
sown,  it  would  germinate,  grow,  and  produce  an  hun¬ 
dred  fold.  So  it  is  that  proper  and  sufficient  prepara¬ 
tion,  by  timely  educational  work,  will  in  the  end, 
insure  in  non-Christian  lands  the  largest  and  most 
abundant  harvest. 


A  Statesman’s  Viewpoint 


9 


One  of  the  most  hopeful  and  potent  movements  in 
the  Chinese  work,  especially  in  North  China,  is  that 
toward  union  of  the  educational,  medical,  and  theologi¬ 
cal  work  of  the  various  denominations.  This  is  as  it 
should  be.  It  greatly  enhances  the  value  of  your 
teaching  in  the  estimation  of  all  Chinese;  and  the 
policy  should  be  encouraged  and  extended  until  it 
includes  all  foreign  educational  and  Christian  effort 
in  the  whole  Empire. 

During  no  period  in  the  history  of  missionary  work 
in  China  has  such  substantial  progress  been  made  as 
during  the  last  five  years,  and  at  no  time  since  its 
beginning,  has  it  been  in  such  a  prosperous  and  hope¬ 
ful  condition  as  to-day.  In  fact,  notwithstanding  the 
sensational  rumors  of  trouble  so  persistently  published 
in  the  public  press  both  of  Europe  and  America,  I 
firmly  believe  that  the  present  outlook  for  China  is 
brighter  than  it  has  ever  been  before.  And  it  is  due 
more  than  anything  else  to  the  educational  efforts  and 
examples  of  missionary  teachers. 

Just  after  the  settlement  of  the  Boxer  troubles,  the 
Chinese  government  decided  to  reform  its  entire  edu¬ 
cational  system,  and  two  years  ago  it  approved  and 
published  most  excellent  new  school  regulations.  Last 
summer  the  government  formally  abolished  the  old, 
time-honored  examination  system,  and  has  since  estab¬ 
lished  a  national  board  of  education  to  rank  with  the 
other  great  Imperial  boards. 

In  all  the  provinces,  primary,  intermediate,  and 


Union 

Movements 


Progress  of 
Last  Five 
Years 


Ecluca> 

tional 

Reform 


10 


Christian  Missions 


School, 

College 

and 

University 


The 

Imperial 

Commis¬ 

sion 


high  schools  have  been  provided  for,  their  curricula 
containing  the  more  important  European  languages. 
Industrial,  commercial,  mechanical,  and  engineering 
schools  are  also  to  be  established.  After  leaving  the 
provincial  schools,  the  boys  pass  by  modern  examina¬ 
tions  into  the  college,  and  thence  to  the  University 
at  Peking.  This  University  is  to  consist  of  a  College 
of  Literature,  of  Law,  of  Engineering,  of  Science,  and 
of  Agriculture.  The  site  has  already  been  selected, 
and  some  of  the  buildings  are  now  being  constructed. 
The  old  examination  hall  with  its  sixteen  thousand 
stalls,  which  was  one  of  the  principal  sights  for  tourists 
in  Peking,  has  been  destroyed,  and  one  of  the  new 
buildings  is  being  erected  on  its  ruins.  This  is,  indeed, 
a  crowding  out  of  the  old  and  an  ushering  in  of  the 
new. 

One  of  the  principal  duties  of  the  Imperial  Com¬ 
mission,  which  recently  made  an  extensive  visit  to 
the  United  States,  was  carefully  and  critically  to  study 
our  educational  methods,  and  to  take  back  the  data  and 
information  necessary  to  enable  the  Chinese  govern¬ 
ment  to  develop  and  carry  out  its  new  educational  sys¬ 
tem  along  approved  Western  lines.  Let  us  hope  that 
they  may  go  back  fully  freighted  with  our  very  best. 
And  may  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  send  into 
this  field  the  increased  number  of  teachers  and 
preachers  necessary  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  great 
opportunity  which  this  new  epoch  in  Chinese  history 
is  presenting  to  the  enlightened  Christian  people  of  the 
world. 


A  Statesman’s  Viewpoint 


11 


The  most  striking,  the  most  interesting,  and  the 
most  hopeful  step  in  the  advancement  of  the  Empire, 
has  been  taken  by  and  for  the  Chinese  women  and  girls. 
Some  of  you  probably  know  that  only  a  few  years 
ago  the  wife  of  our  Minister  in  Peking  knocked  at  the 
door  of  the  Imperial  Palace  which  leads  to  the  female 
apartments  thereof,  and  with  the  assistance  of  Ameri¬ 
can  lady  missionaries,  succeeded  not  only  in  entering 
its  heretofore  sealed  portals,  but  also  in  securing  a 
welcome  entrance  into  the  heart  and  confidence  of  the 
great  Empress  Dowager  herself.  Out  of  this  confi¬ 
dence  most  intimate  relations  sprang  up  between  the 
leading  ladies  of  the  Imperial  Court  and  of  the  Ameri¬ 
can  legation,  which  have  resulted  in  the  opening  of  the 
princely  palaces  of  Peking  to  Western  thought  and 
Western  ideas,  to  such  an  extent  that  now  many  pros¬ 
perous  schools  for  girls  have  been  established;  and  a 
woman’s  daily  newspaper,  the  only  one  in  all  the 
world,  is  published,  and  is  daily  read  by  and  to  thou¬ 
sands  of  the  best  women  in  the  Empire. 

It  is  the  missionaries  who  have  been  the  potent  inter¬ 
mediaries  in  this  splendid  accomplishment.  The  move¬ 
ment,  having  been  encouraged  and  assisted  by  them, 
is  stamped  with  their  Christian  influence,  and  out  of 
it  all  is  bound  to  come  permanent  benefit  to  the  noble 
cause  in  which  you  and  they  are  so  unselfishly  engaged. 

I  wish  to  correct  an  erroneous  impression  which 
seems  generally  to  obtain  in  this  country,  as  well  as  in 
Europe,  namely,  that  woman  is  a  nonentity  in  China. 


Outlook 

for 

Chinese 

Women 


A  Daily 
Paper  for 
Women 

Mission¬ 
aries  the 
Potent  In¬ 
termedia¬ 
ries 


12 


Christian  Missions 


Woman 
not  a  Non¬ 
entity  in 
China 


Mission¬ 

aries 

Helpful 

and 

Needful 


When 

Diverse 

Civiliza¬ 

tions 

Mingle 


To  say  nothing  of  the  Empress  Dowager,  there  is  not 
a  country  on  the  face  of  the  earth  where  woman  has 
more  influence  in  the  home,  or  in  general  is  more 
dominant  over  the  other  sex  than  she  is  in  this  great 
Oriental  Empire.  Hence,  the  significance  of  this 
movement,  and  the  prospect  of  limitless  good  to  come 
from  this  awakening  among  the  women  whose  homes 
heretofore  have  been  barred  and  sealed  against  all  the 
world  outside. 

I  am  not  a  prophet,  nor  the  son  of  a  prophet,  yet  I 
can  see  in  the  present  situation  in  China  the  prepara¬ 
tion  for  a  successful  forward  movement  which  will 
astonish  and  gratify  the  world.  In  this  movement,  the 
work,  influence,  and  assistance  of  American  mission¬ 
aries  will  be  greatly  needed,  and  should  be  felt  as 
never  before.  The  Chinese  will  need  them,  and  the 
vast  crowds  of  Americans  and  other  foreigners 
attracted  thither  by  the  new  trade  possibilities  will 
also  need  them,  and  by  all  means  ought  to  have  the 
courageous  help  and  uplifting  support  of  the  spiritual 
advice  and  Christian  example  of  these  missionaries. 

Those  who  have  visited  the  great  foreign  com¬ 
mercial  settlements  of  the  far  East,  know  that  life  is 
freer  and  easier  there  than  in  the  West,  and  that,  with 
that  freedom  and  ease,  comes  a  strong  temptation 
to  self-indulgence  which  everyone  cannot  withstand. 
When  two  diverse  civilizations  mingle  as  they  do  there, 
the  moral  standing  of  neither  prevails.  Where  home 
ties  are  loosened,  and  ten  thousand  miles  separate  one 
from  the  censorship  of  loving  friends,  there  Is  apt  to 


A  Statesman’s  Viewpoint 


13 


be  a  relaxation  of  self-discipline,  and  a  tendency  to 
deterioration.  Kipling  very  aptly  pictures  the  situa¬ 
tion  in  those  verses  which  represent  the  “British 
Tommy”  as  saying: 

“Ship  me  somewheres  East  of  Suez,  where  the  best  is  like 
the  worst; 

Where  there  aren’t  no  Ten  Commandments,  an’  a  man  can 
raise  a  thirst.” 

With  prudence  and  tact  very  much  can  be  done  to 
ameliorate  this  situation,  and  it  is  gratifying  to  know 
that  the  missionaries  are  not  shirking  and  will  not  shirk 
their  plain  duty  in  helping  their  own  people  as  well  as 
the  Chinese.  But  they  need  at  all  times  the  cordial 
approval  and  hearty  encouragement  of  American 
Christians,  in  this  as  well  as  in  every  other  step  of  their 
arduous  labors. 

According  to  my  judgment  there  never  has  been 
in  the  history  of  foreign  missionary  work,  a  more 
opportune  time  for  earnest  effort  than  the  present,  nor 
a  moment  which  gave  such  promise  of  an  early  day  of 
glorious  fruition;  and  it  is  the  high  duty  of  every 
believer  of  Christ’s  teaching,  and  of  every  lover  of  his 
fellowmen,  to  help  it  along. 

Aid  the  dawning,  tongue  and  pen, 

Aid  it,  hopes  of  honest  men, 

Aid  it  paper,  aid  it  type. 

Aid  it,  for  the  hour  is  ripe. 


Mission¬ 
aries  no 
Shirks 


The  Time 
Opportune 


